


Just drive

by CustardCreamies



Category: Doctor Who, Formula 1 RPF
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Formula 1 AU, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 02:31:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5073901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CustardCreamies/pseuds/CustardCreamies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twelve is a famous three time Formula 1 world champion. Clara is his new team-mate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just drive

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired from last night's ep about Twelve wanting a Ferrari. I love F1, love the Ferrari team and so wanted to write this little AU.
> 
> Also I recommend this song to go with the fic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsfrsLxt0l8

When Danny Pink announced his retirement from the sport, John Smith was pleased to say the least. He hadn't made it a secret that he didn't like him. In fact John thought Danny would have made a better P.E teacher then a F1 Driver. He was too slow, to easy to overtake and never truly mounted a challenge to the world championship, making it easy for John to win the title for the third year running.

He was confident that whoever Ferrari team boss River Song chose, they couldn't mount a challenge for him gaining a fourth title.

How wrong he was.

 

* * *

When John walked into the garage the next morning, he noticed there was only one car in there instead of two. 

"Where's the second car?" John asked one of the mechanics as he made his way to his car. 

"Oh your new team-mate took it out. She said she needed to get a feel for it" 

"She?" John asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Just then he heard the familiar sound of a car slowing down outside and he made his way with the mechanics to bring the car in. Once the car was settled into it's familiar spot the driver got out and went over to one of the monitors to look at her times. Seemingly satisfied with the result the driver gave a little nod and began to remove her helmet. Warm brown eyes could be spotted before the driver took off the fireproof cloth covering her head and let her hair tumble down. Giving her hair a quick run through she then turned to look at John and gave him a warm smile. 

"Hi I'm Clara Oswald, you must be my new team-mate, John Smith" she said as she held out her hand. 

John ignored the hand to glare at her "Clara Oswald? The same Oswald who was team-mates with Susie Wolff back in 2014?" John asked. Clara nodded, her smile unwavering in front of his rudeness. 

"The same Clara also nicknamed 'The impossible girl' because she managed to win a race starting from the back?" 

Clara gave another nod. 

John looked at her for a second before taking her hand in his, shaking it firmly. 

"It's nice to meet you, Clara. For once I have a challenge" John said, he grinned at her.  

Now this would be interesting.

* * *

 

The season past quickly in a blur of racing and challenging. Over the course of each race John found out a lot about Clara and she found out a lot about him. During races they were extreme rivals, quick to challenge, overtake and fight for the lead. But away from the track they got on like a house on fire. John found that with Clara he had found an equal, someone worth battling with. Someone who had the same drive to win as he did and knew just as many dirty ways as he did to get what she wanted. They grew famous for their on track battles and their friendship, which never seemed to cave no matter what happened on track. 

On the final race of the season, only 25 points separated them from winning the championship.

* * *

 

 

On the day of the final race, John sought out Clara in her motor-home, hoping to wish her luck. His heart was hammering in his throat, his adrenaline going overdrive. This race would be the decider.

When he knocked on the door he was greeted by a Clara who wasn't at all looking happy.

"What's wrong?" John asked as he walked through her door.

"Haven't you paid any attention to what the team is saying? My car has a fault. A bloody fault. There's an hour to go before we have to race and the car is a piece of rubbish" Clara threw her hands up in the air in frustration.   

"Hey calm down it will be fine. They'll get it fixed" John reached out to place a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off. Her eyes were cold. 

"It's all-right for you. Your car is working. You could easily win today. How is that fair? I've been dreaming about winning the championship since I was little. It's now in my grasp and my team have to mess up, why can't it be your car?" she kicked at her chair in anger and John held up his hands as if to calm her. 

"Hey I haven't done anything wrong and our races have been fair" John said but trailed off at her look "okay maybe the time you nudged my car into the barriers wasn't fair or the time I made you go off track, but come on it's racing! It's what we do and you can't blame me for this little mishap!" 

Clara ran a hand through her hair and sighed "I'm sorry, but right now I can't even look at you. Please just go get ready. They'll want us at the track parade soon. Let's just get this over with" 

John left the motor-home without another word. 

* * *

They were on the grid. The cars were all lined up, the five lights were slowly going out. John kept his hands on the wheel, listening to the noise of revving engines behind him. This was his zone. His time. He'd only have to manage his tyres and time his stops and he would have another title in the bag. 

He glanced to his side to see his team-mate beside him. They had managed to solve the problem on Clara's car but there was still a little worry over it. Clara hadn't spoken to him since the argument in the motor-home. Oh he understood why she was angry, but it wasn't his fault.

During the other races there had been rivalry, but not like this. When they raced they battled each other of course. But it wasn't malicious battling. It was battling because they loved the sport and having a rival worthy to challenge had been fun. This didn't feel fun.

When did it stop being fun?  

He couldn't think about it any more as the final light was going out. 

And away they raced. 

* * *

The race was tough. Nearly hitting the two hour time limit due to the safety car having to come out to rescue stranded cars and drivers. John led throughout. Clara was in second, desperate to over take him. But she didn't have the power. In the final two laps he had heard her car almost wheezing as it lost power and grip, driving her back into the path of the third place car. This wasn't a fair battle. 

John was proud. John was a third time world champion who ruthlessly destroyed his competitors. He was famous for not caring about his team-mates. Famous for thinking only of himself and never of the end result for the team. 

But now. Here he was, thinking about Clara and caring about her. If it had been anyone else he would have just kept going. But Somehow Clara had gotten under his skin. Feisty, brilliant Clara. The only driver worth racing against. The only driver he cared for.  

He did the unthinkable. 

He slowed down. 

The radio in the car crackled to life as River yelled at him "John? What's wrong?"

"The car, there's something wrong with the tyres, they're losing grip"

"The tyres? John I'm looking at the monitors there is nothing wrong keep pushing" 

John pretended the radio had cut out. 

Clara passed his car, he couldn't see her face as she crossed the line first and he in second. 

Clara had won her first title. 

* * *

 

On the podium of course he had to answer a few questions. He managed to somewhat get through them, keeping up the pretence of his tyres being no good. It seemed to work. For the moment. But still, he was in deep trouble with Ferrari. 

As the music swelled on the podium, Clara leaned down from her first place box and said to him quietly "you threw the race for me, didn't you?" 

John didn't reply. Just kept waving at the crowd. 

"Why?" Clara asked again as they were given the signal to get their bottles of champagne. 

John stayed quiet throughout the resulting champagne spraying. It was only after they were finished, and they were laughing and giggling and covered in champagne, did he give his answer to her question.

He grabbed her by the lapels of her race suit and pulled her towards him into a heated kiss.

The crowd went wild.   

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little bonus for this AU, Twelve's car is number 12 because of reasons. And sorry I condensed what could have been a long piece into something relatively short. I can't seem to write long stuff. Just short. I hope it's okay and that you enjoyed it.


End file.
